


A Crown of Cosmos

by glkrose



Category: Let's Play (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:08:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26004691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glkrose/pseuds/glkrose
Summary: Sam and Marshall work at Mrs. Whipple's flower shop.
Relationships: Marshall Law/Sam Young (Let's Play)
Kudos: 12





	A Crown of Cosmos

**Author's Note:**

> Another fic inspired by the lovely folks over in Smashers!

Spending a lot of time in hospitals sometimes makes patients resent flowers. But not Sam. She always enjoyed receiving vases full of flowers and handing them out to everyone she encountered. It always gave her a thrill knowing how a person’s day could change by a single flower and pored over books to learn what each one signified.

It became her dream to open a shop, except there was one problem: she was terrible at floral design. Sam could grow all the plants necessary but wasn’t skilled enough to make the arrangements people wanted for their significant others and loved ones. This didn’t deter her though. She would bide her time at another shop until she finally mastered the art of floral design.

After college where she did secure a business degree (in case things go south), she began working at What In Carnation! under the tutelage of Mrs. Whipple. Mrs. Whipple was recently widowed and had run the shop with her husband for decades. Sam found their love story particularly moving and often wished she could experience a relationship like that for herself.

Alas, another problem was that she was shy and anxious. Whenever she was placed in the front of the shop and dealing with customers, she struggled. A lot. Sam knew that if she owned a shop, she would be required to do all this, but every day felt like a failure on that front. And dating? Ha. It seemed more and more like flowers were the only living things that understood her.

It was a beautiful day as she made her way to the shop with her dog, Bowser. She was exceedingly grateful to Mrs. Whipple for allowing Bowser to be with her in the greenhouse while she tended the gardens. Bowser always gave her a little boost. She unlocked the greenhouse door and inhaled.

“The best smell in the world, isn’t it, Bowser?” she exclaimed.

Bowser gave her a blank look in return.

“Alright, fine.” She unhooked his leash, and he ran toward his little bed set up in the corner.

“Sam, dear, is that you?” a croaky voice called out.

“Yes, Mrs. Whipple! I’ll be with you in a sec!” Sam took off her coat and hung it on a hook. She picked up her checklist and went to speak with her mentor.

Who wasn’t alone. There was a man about her age standing next to Mrs. Whipple, listening intently and smiling every once in a while. He had messy black hair, and she noticed muscles under his tight shirt. Sam felt something in her chest, but she ignored it.

“Good morning, Mrs. Whipple,” Sam said with a big smile.

“Ah, here she is. Sam, I want you to meet our new employee, Marshall.”

“New employee? I wasn’t aware you needed another person.”

“Oh, I didn’t want to worry you, dear. But my eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be and coming up with new ideas for arrangements has been a bit of a burden.”

Sam’s face fell as that wouldn’t be an issue if she could just get the designs right for once.

“So, I put out an ad, and Marshall here applied! His arrangements are wonderful!”

“Ah, Mrs. Whipple, you flatter me too much.” He approached Sam with an outstretched hand. “Sam, was it?”

“Y-yes,” Sam stammered as she reached out her hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Sam. I’m excited to see what kind of magic we can create here.”

“L-likewise.”

“Why don’t you show him the greenhouse, Sam?” Mrs. Whipple asked. “I can handle the shop for a bit.”

“Okay, Mrs. Whipple. Follow me.”

Marshall gave her a quick nod as she returned to the greenhouse.

“Whoa, this is some set-up,” he stated.

“Thank you. I’m quite proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish.”

She told him what flowers they’re currently growing and how she maintains them.

“What’s in that corner?” He pointed.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. A little experiment.”

“An experiment? Like cross-breeding?”

“Maybe. So far, I haven’t been successful. Not much to show.”

“Well, this is better than anything I could have done. Sadly, I manage to kill every plant I attempt to grow myself. They only seem to like when I make them into art.”

“I-I would like to see your creations. I mean, if Mrs. Whipple was impressed, they must be great.” She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

“Yeah, her combinations are stunning. I’m hoping she’s able to give me some even more pointers. Oh my God, is that a greenhouse dog?” Marshall spotted Bowser sleeping on his bed.

“That’s my dog, Bowser. No, I wouldn’t wake him up!”

Bowser growled as Marshall tried to pet him. He withdrew his hand. “Sorry buddy.”

Sam rushed over and soothed Bowser. “He’s normally okay with strangers, but again, he was sleeping.”

“Yeah, it’s my fault. I love dogs. I hope we can become friends someday.” He held out his hand for Bowser to lick, but Bowser turned away.

Sam noticed a deep sadness in Marshall’s eyes and frowned.

“Alright, thank you for the tour, Sam. I’ll go back to the front now. Looking forward to working with you.”

“Let me know if there’s any flowers we’re not already growing that you need, and I’ll try to get some started.”

“That sounds great. Thanks again, Sam.”

Sam smiled at him, and he returned it. Then, she was left alone in her greenhouse, somehow feeling lonelier than before.

~

Sam started to become friends with Marshall. They mostly stayed in their respective spots at the shop: her in the greenhouse, him in the backroom coming up with designs. He occasionally put in requests for new flowers, and she obliged. However, she was envious of both his ability to create such imaginative arrangements for customers and his easy way of speaking to them.

He invited her to lunch one day about a week after he began working at the shop. Despite some nerves, Sam accepted.

“Is pizza okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, that’s great.”

They walked to a local pizza place and took a booth after placing their orders.

“So, how did you become interested in flowers?”

Sam gulped. Marshall wasn’t really a stranger anymore, but she didn’t like how people reacted when she told them her medical history. Still, he was always so kind, and she felt like he wouldn’t pity her if she gave him the truth.

“I was sick a lot as a kid and spent most of my time in and out of hospitals.” She paused as she took a quick glance at him. No pity in his eyes, so she continued. “There was something always exciting about receiving flowers to wish me well. And seeing the joy on others’ faces when they receive them. It’s silly.”

“It’s not silly. I’m sorry you went through all that, but it sounds like you picked something positive to focus on despite your struggles. Is everything okay now?”

“For the most part. I have asthma, but that’s easily remedied.”

“Good.” He smiled at her.

“What about you? No offense, but I wouldn’t have pegged someone who looks like you to be into floral arrangements.”

A genuine laugh came out. “None taken. I, uh, had a bit of a health scare myself a few months ago, and it caused me to reexamine how I was living my life. I’ve always been creative: drawing, painting, et cetera, but someone suggested floral arrangement classes as a way to relieve stress. I took a real liking to it, and here we are.”

That explained the lack of pity when she told him about her past. He was also sick of those looks. Her heart swelled. “I’m sorry to hear that. Are you okay now?”

“Taking it one day at a time. Have to monitor some things still, but nothing major.”

“Good.”

The conversation stopped as they ate their food.

“What’s your dream, Sam?”

She choked on the water she sipped. “Huh?”

“What is one thing you want to do most of all?”

“Own my own flower shop. Unfortunately, I lack the social skills required, and I can’t construct a decent floral arrangement.”

He gave her a weird look. “What are you talking about? Your social skills are great! And I could give you some advice on how to make a good arrangement. Don’t be so hard on yourself, Sam. Those are things you can work on.”

Sam looked away from his serious gaze and blushed. “Th-thank you.”

“Now, if you could help me not kill some plants so I can tend my own garden one day that would be nice.”

She giggled. “It’s a deal.” They shook hands. “What about you? What’s your dream?”

“Hm, I still don’t have something firm in mind. I just know it wasn’t being a lawyer.”

Her eyes widened. “You were a lawyer?”

“Does that fit your preconceived notion of me better than a florist?” he asked with a smirk.

Sam coughed. “Sort of. Wow, what a big change.”

“It is. But I like it more and more every day,” he said softly.

As they walked back to the shop, Marshall turned to her. “Do you grow cosmos?”

Sam had to think about it. “No, I don’t think we’ve ever gotten requests for those.”

“Could you put in an order for some?”

“What colors?”

“Hmm, yellow, white, and red. Maybe you can do some experimenting and make pink,” he teased.

“They do come in pink already, I believe.”

“But that’s not as much as fun!”

She sighed. “I should really stop the experimenting. It’s a bit of a waste. None of them have worked.”

“Yet. I believe you’ll figure it out.”

Whenever he said something like that, she felt her heart start pounding faster. She hadn’t really been close to anyone like this before. And since they worked together, it was probably a bad idea to pursue him. Still, it was nice to have someone act like her ideas were good.

True to Marshall’s word, he began helping her with designs. He managed to point out her errors in a kind way and worked with her to fix them.

“Honestly, you’re not that bad. You just have a little too many ideas at times. Simplicity is key.”

Sam tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Thanks.”

“But to be honest, I like your designs. Even the ones with too much going on. It’s chaotic, but that makes it more interesting.”

She huffed a laugh and rolled her eyes.

“Oh, there you both are. I have an appointment this afternoon. Would one of you be able to watch the shop until closing?” Mrs. Whipple asked.

“Of course, Mrs. Whipple! Hope everything is okay,” Sam replied.

“Don’t worry about me, dear. Thank you,” Mrs. Whipple said and left.

“Looks like part two of our deal is happening,” Marshall said with a grin.

“I guess so,” she answered and went to the greenhouse to check on Bowser.

“Is Bowser allowed in the shop?”

Sam jolted as she didn’t realize Marshall had followed her. “Uh, I usually let him in when I’m working the front. But as you two still aren’t on good terms…”

“Hm, that’s a good point. I was just trying to think of something to keep you calm.”

“Thank you. That’s very kind.”

“I will win him over one day.” He leaned down and offered his hand to Bowser. Bowser just stared at him. “And that day is not today.”

Sighing, Marshall got up and walked to the shop. Sam turned to Bowser.

“Can you try next time? Marshall is…well, I don’t really know what he is, but I think we’re friends. And I want him to feel accepted by you.” She rubbed her dog’s head who huffed.

The afternoon went well with the two of them taking care of customers. Marshall was encouraging but took over when she became too flustered. Mostly, she was glad that he felt like a partner, not a boss. That definitely eased her nerves.

“See? That wasn’t so bad! You can definitely run your own shop one day.”

“If you say so.”

“No, I really mean it. Yes, you’ll occasionally get pushy customers, but your demeanor is perfect for dealing with those. You don’t raise your voice or anything!”

“Because I struggle to get any words out at all,” she muttered.

“You just need some more practice. I believe in you.”

“You have a lot of faith in me.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

She gulped, unsure what to say next.

As though he could sense her nerves, Marshall changed the subject. “Did the cosmos come in yet?”

“Hm, let me check.” Sam pulled up the order on the computer. “Should be delivered tomorrow. I’ll enlist your help before planting.”

“That sounds great. Looking forward to learning all your wisdom about how not to kill plants.”

Sam laughed, then she noticed he hadn’t moved from his spot yet to leave for the night. “You don’t have to stay. I’ve locked up plenty of times.”

“And you do have a good guard dog over there.” He pointed at Bowser who was asleep under the counter. “Alright, then. See you tomorrow.”

“Good night, Marshall.”

The next afternoon, the shipment of cosmos seeds had arrived. Marshall knocked on the door to the greenhouse.

“Come in! You don’t have to knock, by the way.”

“No, this is your sacred spot. Knocking is the polite thing to do. Plus, Bowser.”

She frowned. “Oh, right. Anyway, come here.” Sam waved him over to the newest plot she constructed. “I was thinking white here, yellow here, red there, and pink over there. Sound good?”

“You’re the expert. What do you need me to do?”

Sam gave him instructions on how to dig a deep enough hole, properly place the seeds, and use the right amount of water. They worked relatively in silence, and Sam kept glancing at him. She noticed that his face was screwed up in concentration, and she had to suppress a giggle. Unfortunately, her glances at him made her somehow move closer to where he was working, and their hands brushed together.

She quickly moved her hand away, but a voice in her head questioned why she felt like she had to do that. That was a good question since Marshall was looking at her a bit differently than he had before. Wait, that wasn’t quite true. She had noticed that look from him before but had always brushed it off. There was a kind of fire in his eyes, and Sam realized she liked it.

“Sam, are you okay?”

“Huh?”

He pointed to his nose. “Your nose is bleeding.”

“What?” She reached up and felt blood. Thankfully, it wasn’t gushing, but it was still embarrassing.

“I’ll get you a tissue. Tilt your head forward.”

Marshall left, and Sam cursed her wildly inexperienced body. She was ready to admit that she wanted something further with him. And for the first time, she didn’t have to wonder if he felt the same way.

When he returned, he handed Sam the tissues.

“Thanks.” She brushed one under her nose to wipe the blood and used another to try to stop it.

“I don’t know if you’re an anime fan, but sometimes that tends to happen when a person was thinking about something…”

“Haha, yeah, I know what it looks like.” She knew his sense of humor well enough by now to know that he wasn’t being malicious with his teasing.

Marshall shifted his head and gave a slight smirk. “I’ll be sure to keep my distance from now on. Can’t have blood ruining our cosmos.”

Her heart thumped at his phrasing of “our cosmos”. He had to be flirting with her, right? God, she needed her body to never betray her like this again. Especially not in front of him.

Every morning when they came in, Marshall joined Sam in the greenhouse to check the progress of the cosmos. They began taking turns of bringing the other coffee. And with Marshall spending more time in the greenhouse, Bowser began to warm up to him a little more. This delighted Marshall the most, and Sam was glad to see it happen as well.

“Would you like to continue taking care of the cosmos? Since you requested them and have not killed a single one!” she asked as they began pruning.

“I still feel like I need supervision if you don’t mind,” he responded.

“Well, it is my greenhouse, so I’ll be here,” she joked.

“Good,” he said with a smile.

A few days passed, and Marshall’s new designs with the cosmos made the shop pretty popular. Sam often had to help at the front of the store with Mrs. Whipple, while Marshall worked hard to keep the customers happy.

Sam had noticed Mrs. Whipple get tired more quickly and needed a lot of breaks. She began to feel worried about her mentor’s health. Mrs. Whipple informed her it was nothing serious, but she did have another doctor’s appointment in two days. Sam assured her that she would take care of the shop in her absence.

As Sam opened the shop that day, Marshall came rushing in.

“Sam, I know you need me in the front with you, but I got slammed with some arrangements last night. Do you think you can manage?”

She took a deep breath. “Of course.”

“Wait right here.”

Sam gave him a confused look as he went into the backroom. Bowser let out a tiny whine. Marshall returned holding something in his hands.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“Can I…” He gestured putting something on her head.

Her eyes narrowed, but she nodded in agreement. With a gentle touch, he placed a flower crown on her head.

“Beautiful,” he whispered. “You got this.”

Sam blushed fiercely and watched him leave. Surprisingly, she managed to make it two hours without any mishaps. Marshall was able to help out after that, and Mrs. Whipple made it back by lunchtime.

Before going to grab some food, Sam knocked lightly and pushed open the door to the backroom where Marshall was tidying up from this morning’s orders. He turned and smiled at her.

“I got a lot of compliments on the crown,” Sam said as she took it off her head. “We might have to start selling them.”

“They’re not hard to make, so it would be fun to do so.” Marshall grinned. “You can help.”

“Why did you make one for me?”

“You see, the crown is made of cosmos.” Sam nodded. “Cosmos are meant to have power over the throat chakra and help with public speaking. Thought it might give you a little boost. Did it work?”

She thought back to the morning. “Yeah, I think it did.” Fingering the flowers, she smiled. “So, that’s why you wanted the cosmos.”

“A reason, yes.”

Sam gulped and looked him in the eyes. “Uh, before you said beautiful, was that the crown you were admiring or…”

“Sam, I called you beautiful. Because you are. Crown or no crown.”

She wasn’t sure what she should say to that. “Th-thank you.”

“May I?” Marshall moved a little closer and held her hand.

Sam prayed that her nose wasn’t about to start bleeding. His hand was so warm. She was filled with desire and wanted his hands all over her. In his eyes, she saw the same thing.

“Marshall…”

“Sam…”

They both started speaking at the same time and laughed.

“Sam, can I kiss you?”

“Yes,” she breathed.

Marshall cupped her cheeks and tilted her mouth up to meet his. Sam closed her eyes and felt his soft lips press against hers. It was everything a first kiss should be.

When it ended, the two smiled at each other.

“God, Sam, I’ve wanted to do that for a while.”

“Really?”

“Can you stop acting surprised that I’m attracted to you?” He brushed a strand a hair from her face. “I’ve dealt with a lot of darkness the past few years. Working here lifted a weight off my chest. You brought the light back. I look forward to every day because I know I’ll see you.”

“I know what you mean. You’ve kept a lot of my loneliness at bay. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you. No one’s ever really thought of me as attractive before, that’s all. Especially someone I also have feelings for. But I like it. I like you.”

She pulled him in for another kiss. This one was a bit more passionate with a slip of Marshall’s tongue in her mouth causing a slight moan.

“Huh, you liked that?”

“More,” Sam pleaded and moved to kiss him again. He obliged for a bit, then pulled away.

“Not that I want this to end, but we are technically on the clock.”

“Oh, right. Mrs. Whipple is probably wondering what’s going on.” Sam began to fix her hair.

“I have an idea. Why don’t we go out tonight?”

“Like a date?”

“Yes, would you like to go on a date with me?”

“I would love to, Marshall.”

“Actually, call me Ben.” She gave him a confused look. “Ben’s my real name. I wasn’t lying about the darkness in my past.”

Sam gave him another kiss. “I’m glad to bring you all the light you need, Ben.”

~

Their relationship continued to grow, and Sam felt more and more confident about herself and wants with Ben around. The shop thrived with the two of them. Sam began to come up with her own arrangements, and to her surprise, customers bought them.

“I told you they were good.” Ben wrapped his arms around Sam and gave her a peck on the cheek.

“It’s because I had a really great teacher.”

Everything was going great until she was called in to speak with Mrs. Whipple. All Sam could think about was how the old woman was going to sell the shop as she had become unable to keep up with everything, even with Sam and Ben’s help. She didn’t want to lose this place as it had become a second home.

After the meeting, Sam walked into the backroom and leaned against the wall.

“Did you ever decide on what your dream is?”

“Hm, no.” He frowned and turned toward her. “Is that a problem?”

“Of course not.”

“To be honest, in some ways, the way my life has been going feels a bit like a dream already. Especially since I met you.” He smiled at her.

Sam returned his smile. “That’s good to hear.”

“What did Mrs. Whipple want?”

“Ah, that. I know you’re not a lawyer anymore, but I was given a contract and wanted some insight.” She walked over and handed him a stack of papers.

He began to flip through them. "Holy shit! Sam, she’s giving you the shop.”

“Not just me.” She pointed at a line.

“Why is my name here?”

“I asked her to give it to both of us.”

“But why? It’s your dream to own a shop.”

“It is, and I don’t want to do it alone.”

Ben opened his mouth again, but Sam placed a finger on his lips.

“Yes, I feel more confident about running a shop now. But I’d much rather have a partner there to encourage me. Unless I misread the whole situation…”

His lips were on hers before she could say anything further. He pulled back and stated, “You didn’t misread a thing.” He began brushing her hair with his fingers. “I’ll help you run the shop. I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t because you didn’t believe in yourself. I don’t want to be a crutch?”

“You’re not a crutch. You’re my partner. We’re going to run the shop together. A good dream, don’t you think, Ben?”

“The best dream. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Sam beamed as they kissed again.


End file.
